Between Jamelia Niela Davis comments on Loose Women and the ‘beach body’ adverts by Protein World, the media has been consumed with opinions on obesity and weight. At Feeling Fab we believe that HEALTH far supersedes the size of clothes you wear or what body type is allowed on the beach!
We all know that there are a gazillion diets available, but introducing a balanced and healthy way of eating serves most people longer than a fad diet. As I am spending most of May in the South of France, I have been looking up Mediterranean foods and trying some of the recipes…. because let’s face it, if we are going to continue using the dreaded ‘D’ word, we should try the ones with the biggest health benefits.
The Mediterranean Way of Life
Unlike most fad diet trends eating Mediterranean recipies are not so much an actual diet rather than a way of life. If you prefer fish to red meat, eating ‘the Mediterranean Way’ may be a good kick start to healthier eating.
Many times when you’re reading about all the variety of diets, you’ll often hear the Mediterranean Diet being compared to the South Beach Diet. It’s not a bad comparison. But, the specifics of the Mediterranean Diet are really what set it apart from the rest.
Living close to the Mediterranean Sea, it would make sense that the people would be more likely to eat fish than red meat. Another key distinction is the fact that this animal protein is one of the last priorities on the diet. Their diet is made up more of fresh vegetables and fruit. Whole grains and olive oil take second place, while wild fish and small amounts of red wine come in last.
Unlike many other diets, dairy, eggs and red meats are very seldom used. The key is healthy fats, primarily Omega-3 fatty acid, which is great for raising good cholesterol and lowering the bad. Since this high level of unsaturated fat is super clean burning, it actually trains your body to use fat as fuel… and yes, that includes your much hated body fat!
Another reason people turn to and stay on the Mediterranean Diet is because of the incredible health-enhancing benefits. Good old common sense tells you this diet should help you lose weight, lower bad cholesterol and just make you feel better. Who can argue that a diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, Omega fatty acids and antioxidants is bad for you?
The wonderful antioxidant properties of this diet have been shown to be beneficial in fighting heart disease which is the number one killer in the United States. This is a diet that anyone who values their health, and not just quick weight loss, can get behind.
Ready for another great benefit of this diet?
It’s not full of odd or weird foods that you’ve never heard of. In fact, most of the food if not all can be purchased at your local supermarket. So with the Mediterranean Diet, you have an eating plan that’s healthy, safe, logical, effective and convenient. How FAB is that!
Since its beginning very few things have ever been said negatively about this plan. It’s probably one of the healthiest diet plans out there. Fresh wild fish, whole grains, fresh crisp produce and lots of healthy cold-pressed olive oil… yummy. Another great thing is that you can go online and find loads of great recipes that are easy to fix.
You can view my favourite dish (above) to make here and follow other great recipes on BBC Good Food
